Feeding attachment for printing presses



Feb. 16, 1937 w. D. BERRY .FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed 001:. 27, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb, 16, 1937. w. D. BERRY 2,070,572

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 27, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb 16, 193? w. D. BERRY FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 27, 1934 Feb. 16, 1937. w. D. BERRY 2,070,572

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 27, 1934 Y '5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 16, 1937. w p BERRY 2,070,572

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 27. 1934 5 Sheets$heet 5 Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES Application October 27, 1934, Serial No. 750,367

11 Claims.

This invention is a paper feeding attachment for job printing presses and has for its object the provision of a mechanism whereby single sheets may be fed from a supply of sheets tothe platen and the printed sheet transferred to a delivery board or table. The invention provides vacuumoperated means for withdrawing a single sheet from a stack of sheets and delivering the same at its lower edge to grippers which carry it to the platen in the printing position, the upper edge of the sheet being engaged by other grippers as the sheet travels downwardly so that it will be held smoothly upon the platen in the act of printing, the upper grippers withdrawing the printed sheet and both sets of grippers being operated automatically to release the sheet at the proper time and discharge it onto the delivery board. It is also an object of the invention to provide mechanism for the stated purpose which may be easily placed in position on a printing press and will support the supply of sheets on edge above the delivery board. Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the'course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of a sheet-feeding attachment embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the position of delivering a sheet against the platen to receive an impression.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the grippers and immediately adjacent parts.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing the means whereby the upper grippers are caused to release a sheet. I

Figure '7 is an enlarged side elevation of the means for opening the lower grippers.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective of a lower gripper.

Figure 9 is a transverse section more particularly showing the gearing whereby the feeding mechanism is driven.

Figure 10 is a detail front elevation of the paper stack with the vacuum devices for withdrawing one sheet.

Figure 11 is a section on the line |Ill of Figure 2. a

Figure 12 is a section on the line l2-l2 of Figure 2.

Figure 13 is a detail section through the connection between a driving eccentric and the lever driven thereby.

Figure 14 is a detail perspective view of some of the parts shown in Figure 11.

Figure 15 is a detail section through a valve in the suction line.

The printing press comprises a frame and a platen 2 pivotally mounted upon the frame to receive sheets or stock to be printed. The platen is rocked in the operation of the press through mechanism, a portion of which is indicated at 4 in Figure l, which, in itself, constitutes no part of the present invention so that detailed disclosure of the same is deemed unnecessary. The rocking of the platen is, of course, accomplished in consonance with'the operation of the feeding mechanism so that the sheet which is to be printed will be placed in proper position on the platen during an interval in which the action'of the feeding mechanism is reversed.

The sheet-feeding attachment comprises a frame consisting of side plates 5 and a lower bed 6 extending between the lower edges of said side plates and adapted to support a delivery table (not shown) which receives the printed sheets, this bed and frame being carried by a pedestal 1 which may be equipped with casters so as to be easily moved to and from the printing press. The upper ends of the side plates 5 are connected and braced by a deck 8 upon which the paper sheets are stacked on edge, as shown at 9, against a follower Hi, the deck being inclined, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the sheets may be easily supported on edge, and the follower being moved upwardly as the sheets are removed. At the front end of the bed or table 6 is secured a transverse rail II which is adapted to bear against a shoulder l2 on the upper edges of the frame of the printing press so that the sheet-feeding frame will be held against backward movement from the press. On the under side of the frame, at the rear thereof, are secured hangers l3 in which is journaled a shaft l4 carrying a gear l5 meshing with a pinion I6 on a shaft I! which is carried by a rocking frame I 8, said rocking frame l8 being pivotally hung upon the shaft l4 and the shaft l1 carrying a pinion l9 at its end remote from the pinion 16. See Figure 9. The shaft I4 is extended beyond the hanger l3 at one end and upon said end is secured a cam disc 20 having an eccentric groove 2| in its inner side, the

groove being defined, in the present instance, by a track member 2"] secured to the disc. Working in the groove 2| is a roller 22 on the end of an arm or lever 23. When the sheet-feeding mechanism is moved into position at the feeding side of the printing press frame, the pinion l9 will mesh with a driving gear 25 which forms a part of the train of gearing for operating the platen and cooperating parts of the press, so that motion will be transmitted from said gear 25 to the pinion I 9 and then through the gearing, which has just been described and is shown fully in Figure 9, to rock the arm 23.

The rocking arm or lever 23 is pivoted between its ends, as at 24, upon the adjacent side plate 5, and a link I23 connects the upper end of the rocking arm with a lever 26 which is pivotally mounted upon the side oflthe frameya similar lever being mounted at the opposite .sideof the frame and the two levers being connected by a rock shaft or pivot rod .21, as will be understood. The levers 26 are pivoted at theirifront ends to thesides of a frame 28 and to the upper ends of the, side members i of said frame are apivoted rocking arms or auxiliary lever :29, said aux- V iliary levers beingzpivoted at their rear ends upon the side plates 5:at the;rear of the same and:at

points" above the pivot 21, as shown at .30, the levers 26 being connected and braced adjacent their front ends byeacross bar 3|, shown most a clearly in Figure 3; It will now be understood that :'as the gearing :rotates, the disc 20 will impart an oscillatory motion -.to the arm 23 and 'th1'0llghithe '1ink123130 the connected llevers 26,

so that theJframe 28iwill be movedfrom'the posiupon its pivotal connections with the levers 26 so that, while in its"upperposition .the frame is "nearly vertical, in its lower position it*wi1l be inclined somewhatmore and will correspond with the position of the platen of the press.

Pivoted to one of the rocking arms 29 adjacent the fulcrum of the same, as'shown in Figures '1 and 2,'is a link 'l3l which has its upper ..end pivoted :to the Iearwardly extending arm of an angle lever 32 which is fulcrumed upon the side of the frame 5:and has the end of its upwardly extending arm pivoted to the rear end of a connecting rod 33 which extends forwardly and is'pivoted on a rod 34 which extends across :the front of the stack .of paper sheets and is provided with arms '35 journaled, at their lower ends upon the deck 8, at the sides 'ofithe same,

and of'the same length as the upper arm of the angle lever 32 whereby the angle lever, thelarm's '-'35,the connecting rod 33, andthe deck'will form a parallelogram. :Mounted upon the carrier rod :34 are suction cups 36 which will move to and "from the stack of paper sheets as the'machine is operated whereby the suction will cause the outside or front .sheet :of the stack to move forwardly with the .cupstinto a position at the edge The vacuum scups '36Lare to be conto the vacuum apparatus, as will beunderstood.

In Figure 2 the cups are 'shown as resting against and-the gripping plate 38, is a transverse bar 43 the stack of paper sheets, while in Figure 1 they are shown as having carried one sheet from the stack into the position where it is engaged by the lower grippers.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3, the frame 28 is substantially U-shaped and upon the base of the frame is formed or secured a plate or upstanding flange 38 against which the lower 18, in which are engaged teeth'or spurs 49 formed at the ends of clips 4 I the arms of which" are disposed respectively above and below the base of the frame-28, as shown most clearly in Figures 4,7 and 8. The clips may be provided in such number'sand at such intervals as may be deemed most desirable. Rising from the clips at one side of the base-engaging members thereof are resil- .ient-fingers-42 which are curved or bent toward .-the;pl'ate.-3:8 and adapted at-their upper extremities-to bear againstsaid plate, as shown in Figure 4. .Disposed'between the gripping fingers 42 which is connected'with the base of the frame by hinges 44 and is provided at-one end with an angular-1y disposed surface constituting a cam, as

shown-at945. 'Pivoted in brackets 46 at the lower frame4-l, the upper ends .of said side members being connected by a "cross rod 48,. as clearly shown. One of saidrside members-4'! .has'a laterally extending 'arm'49 adjacent its pivotequippecl 1 cornersof .the'frame-2-8 are-side members of anti) with a roller 59 which is adapted to ride upon agili curved trac-k55 I extending from the :frame '5 at "one side ofthepl'aten, as shown in Figures land A. 2,7it beingnoted that the lower end of this track .--is doubled uponitself to provide a shoulder 52.

Pivoted upon the upper. or forward end'of the arm 49 -is adog ,or trigger 53 which is adapted to ride against the cam surface and thereby .rock the transversebar43 so as toforce the gripping fingers-42 awayfrom thegripping plate 38,

as shown in Figure 7. The trigger bearsagainst a stop 54 formed-on ithearm and is held to said stop by a leaf spring 55 carried by the ..arm and ,bearingagainst the .rear edge of the trigger. A

retractilerspring 56 is attachedat one end to the frame 28 adjacent .the lower end .of the .sameIand,--

at its opposite end is attached to the cross bar 48 so that said cross bar and the ends of the side arms 41 are held ,yieldably in the position shown in Figure 2. In the position shown in Figure 2,

the sheet to beprinted is held by and between the arm 59 will be rocked slightly by the engagement ,1 fofjthe roller 50 with the end of the track and it will be held in this slightly rocked position as long as the roller is traveling onthe track. When the side members 41 are thus rocked about their pivotal connections with the frame 28, the dog or trigger 53 is caused to ride on the cam surface 45 and push the bar away from the gripping plate '38 so that the gripping fingers 42 will be moved -=away'f1'om said plate and the lower edge of the printed sheet will be released. The resiliency of the fingers 42 will exert a tension upon the trigger "which will hold the parts'in the position shown in full lines in Figure 7, and as the frame 28 approaches the upper limit of its movement, projections 51 on the side pieces 41 at theends of a the cross bar 48 will engage and ride in downwardly inclined grooves 58 in the inner faces of the side plates 5 so that the said members 41 will be swung downwardly and the arm 49 will be rocked to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, thereby releasing the bar 43. Just before the trigger 53 is released from the cam surface 45 by this additional rocking of the arm 49, the vacuum cups will have brought a sheet into the position shown at 59 in Figure 1, so that the edge of the sheet will drop into position between the clamping plate 38 and the gripping fingers 42. As the parts assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, the trigger is released from the cam 45 and the gripping fingers 42 then move against the lower edge of the sheet under their own resiliency so that the sheet will be grasped and held by the fingers and the gripping plate. The spring 56 will be put under tension by this action so that as the side members 4'! clear the grooves 58 on the return stroke, the rocking arms will be returned to the position shown in full lines in Figure '7, and then to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. On this return movement, however, the trigger 53 will ride past the cam surface 55 and resume its original position under the same so as to again actuate said surface and the bar 43 in the next cycle of operations. The spring 55 will yield to this return movement of the trigger so that it will ride easily past the bar 43 which will be carried to its position against the gripping plate by the action of the gripping fingers.

Extending upwardly from the cross bar 48 are supporting plates or brackets 59 which have longitudinal slots 60 therein and upon which, adjacent their free ends, are pivoted the upper members of lazy tongs BI which extend downwardly and are pivoted at their lower extremities to a cross bar or plate 62 which constitutes the gripping board or plate of the upper grippers. At the center of each lazy tong, a bolt 63 is engaged through the corresponding slot 60, and a wing nut 54, mounted on the front .end of the bolt, is adapted to be turned home against the adjacent members of the lazy tongs so as to secure them in a set position. These lazy tongs form a convenient and easily operated means for adjusting the upper grippers toward or from the lower grippers so as to set the device for a sheet of any desired size. Connected with the gripping plate 52 by hinges 65 is a flat-sided bar 66 having gripping fingers 61 projecting from its lower edge at intervals, and secured upon the gripping plate at the ends thereof are leaf springs 68 having their free ends bearing upon said bar 65 so as to hold the same in either the open or the closed position. A stop lug 69 is provided on the gripping plate 62 adjacent the bar 66 so that when the bar is turned to the open position, it will rest against said stop and, consequently, its opening movement will be limited and it cannot be swung so far that it will fail to engage the sheet. At one end of the bar 65 is a crank I terminating in a stud II which is adapted to ride against the eccentric edge I2 of a trip bar I3 which is secured upon the side plate in proper position to be engaged by said stud as the side members 17 assume the position shown in Figure 1. The gripping fingers 61 will be thereby swung to the open position shown in Figure 5 so that a sheet of paper may be received between them and the gripping bar or plate 62. As the feeding frame moves downwardly the sheet, shown at 59, will be drawn downwardly with it and the framemembers 41 will be swung toward the position shown in Figure 4' to bring the gripping fingers above the upper edge of the paper sheet whereupon the crank stud II will ride against a trip lug I4 on the adjacent side member of the frame 28 to rock the gripping fingers into the closed position shown in Figures 3 and 6, thereby gripping the upper edge of the paper sheet. The cycle of operations is then repeated until all of the paper has been printed or the job has been completed.

:The hose or pipe 31 extends from the suction cups to a vacuum apparatus of any preferred form and mounted upon the frame of the sheetfeeding apparatus isa'valve casing 80 inserted in the suction line, as'shown most clearly in Figure 15. A piston valve BI is fitted in a branch of the valve casing and a port 82 in a partition 83 of. the casing exposes the piston to theforce of the suction, the valve stem 84 depending from the piston through a guide 85 on the adjacent side plate 57 The lower end of the valve stem is arranged over .the inner end of a latch 86 which is pivoted between its ends upon a bracket 81 extending laterally from the side plate 5, the outer end of the latch seating in a notch 88 in the upper end of a trip lever 89 which is pivoted at its lower end upon the bracket 81, as clearly shown. The lever 26 has a hub member 95 which is keyed to the pivot rod 21 and loose upon said rod is an outer hub member 9I from the outer end of which rises a crank or lever 92, the upper end of said crank or lever being pivoted to a bar or rod 93 which carries a cap 94 at its free end adapted to fit over the upper end of the impression throw-off lever 95 of the press. In the outer end of the hub 95 is a radial slot 95 and in the inner end of the hub 9| is a similar slot 91 adapted to aline with the slot 96, a longitudinal recess 98 extending from the slot 9'! toward the outer end of the hub 9|. A trigger 99 is slidably mounted in the hub 9| in the slot 9? and has a tongue I99 fitting in the recess 98 and bearing upon an expansion spring IiII housed in the recess. The trigger 99 projects radially beyond the hubs and bears against the lever 89, normally seating in a notch I52 therein. A retractile spring I93 is atached to the lever 89 and to the bracket 87 and tends constantly to rock the lever toward the frame, this movement being resisted by the latch 85. Projecting laterally from the lever 89 is a stud I04 which may be engaged at times by a cam lug I95 on the outer side of the disc 20, a roller I06 being provided on the stud to reduce frictional wear and resistance.

As long as the apparatus is operating properly, the suction will hold the valve in its raised position, and the trigger 99 will be held in the position shown in Figure 11, the hub 99 rotating and the hub 9| remaining at rest while the lug I85 will clear the roller I96 and stud I95. Should the suction cups, however, fail to work, for any reason, the vacuum will be broken and the valve stem will drop onto the latch 86 and rock the same, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 12, to release the lever 89 which will thereupon be rocked out of engagement with the trigger 99 under the influence of the spring I53. The trigger is immediately pushed into the slot 95 by the spring I0 I, thereby locking the two hubs together so that the lever 92 and rod 93 will be actuated to rock the impression throw-off lever 95 with the usual result. The rotation of the cam disc 29 will then bring the lug I55 into engagement with the roller I06 for resetting-the parts and normal operation will be. resumed when the vacuum has been restored.

.- To disconnect 'theffeeding apparatus from the while the sheet is in the printing positionit is held at both its upper and its lower edges so that it will be smooth upon the platen and will not be apt to have a blurred impression. The sheet is properly centered "without the use of gage pins which are. eliminated :and rendered unnecessary.

Having thusdescri'be'd the invention, what is claimed as new is:

V 1. Sheet-feeding mechanism for a printing press comprising a frame having an upper inclined' deck upon which sheets may 'be stacked on edge and a lower bediupon which the printed sheets may be delivered, means to withdraw a single sheet from the stack, means to grip the lower edge of the withdrawn sheet and carry the same to printing'positiom'means for gripping the upper edge of the sheet as'it moves to printingposition, the lowergripping means being released as the sheet is withdrawn from printing position and the upper gripping means being released as the sheet assumes'a position above the delivery'bemand an oscillatory frame supporting said second and third mentioned means. Y

2. A sheet-feeding mechanism for a printing press comprising a frame-having an upper deck upon which paper sheets may be stacked on edge and a lower delivery table; vacuum cups movable towardand from thestack of sheets to remove the front sheet therefrom, means for creating a vacuum in the cups, gripping mechanism automatically movable in .consonan'oe with the means and 'vacuum cups to grip the edges of the removed sheet'and carry the same to and from printing position and release it as it is withdrawn fromprinting position to'a delivery position below the deck, and an oscillatory frame supporting the gripping mechanism.

3. In a sheet-"feeding 'means for a printing press, an oscillatory frame, means for moving said frame to and from printing position, means for supporting a stack of paper sheets at a point above said frame, means on the frame for withdrawing a sheet from said stack, and upper and lower grippingmembers on the oscillatory frame to engage the upper and lower edges of a sheet as the frame moves to and from printing position.

4. In a sheet-feeding'me'chanism for a printing the same upon a sheet as the frame starts its downward movement, and means for opening the upper grippers as the frame stops its upward travel and close said grippers as the frame starts its downward travel, said last mentioned means comprising a cooperating crank stud and trip lug.

5. A sheet-feeding mechanism for-a printing press comprising :a frame adapted t'o'be engaged with a printing press, meansion the upper portion of said .frame to support a stack of paper sheets, means on the lower portion of said frame to receive printed sheets, an oscillatory frame, means mounted on the first-mentioned frame and driven from'the power of the printing press for shifting saidoscillatory frame to and from printing position, means for separating asheet of paper from the stack, lower grippers on the:;

oscillatory frame to engage the lower edge of a separated sheet as .saidframe moves to printing position, means -on :said frame for gripping theupper edge ofthe sheetvas the frame movestoward printing position, and means for releasing the printed sheet as said frame movestoward delivery position.

6. A sheet-feeding mechanism for a printing press comprising an oscillatory frame movable to and from printing position, lower grippers carried by said frame,'upper grippers adjustably mounted on said frame, and means foropening and closing said grippers during travel of the frame. I

7. Sheet-feeding mechanism for a printing press comprising a frame,.means for moviing said frame to and from printing position, lower gripe pers mounted upon the. frame, supporting arms extending fromthe upper portion'of the frame, lazy tongs mounted on said arms, and upper grippers carried by the lazy tongs.

8. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, a frame movable to and from printing position, a gripping plate on, said frame, resilient gripping fingers adjustably secured on the frame to cooperate withsaid gripping plate, a release bar disposed between the gripping plate and the fingers to releasethe fingers from the plate, an arm pivotally mounted upon the frame, said release bar fingers may grip a sheet against the gripping plate.

9. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, an oscillatory frame movable to and from printing posi-' tion, a gripping plate carried by--the lower end of said frame, resilient gripping fingers mounted on the frame to cooperate with said plate, a rocking frame pivotally mounted on the first-mentioned frame at the lower corners of the same, an arm on said rocking frame, a trigger carried by said arm, means whereby the trigger will re lease the gripping fingers as the oscillatory frame moves upwardly, and means for rocking the rocking frame as the oscillatory frame reaches the upper limit of its movement whereby to release the trigger and permit the gripping fingers to engage a sheet. l r

10. A sheet-feeding mechanism comprising a frame movable to and from printing position, a rocking frame mounted on the oscillatory frame, lower grippers carried by the'oscillatory frame, upper grippers adjustably-mounted on the rocking frame and including agripping plate, a rocking bar hinged upon said gripping plate and having gripping fingers'extending from one side, a stop to limit the opening movement of said bar, means for holding the bar in open or closed position, a crank at one end of said bar, a cam disposed in the path of said crank whereby to rock the bar to-open position as the oscillatory frame reaches the upper limit of its movement, and means on the rocking frame to engage said crank and rock the bar to closed position as the oscillatory frame begins its downward movement.

11. Sheet-feeding mechanism for a printing press comprising an oscillatory frame, sheetgripping means on said frame, a normally constantly rotating hub, operative connections between said hub and said frame, a normally stationary hub, operative connections between the stationary hub and the impression throw-ofi lever of the printing press, a trigger mounted in the stationary hub, a trip-lever engaging the trigger, means whereby the trigger will lock the hubs together upon release of the trip-lever, and means for resetting the trip-lever and the trigger.

WALTER D. BERRY. 

